What Dreams May Come

Posted on 2020-10-30 by Bartholomew Barker

What Dreams May Come

I wake up in a film noir bedroom—
streetlamp shadows on my ceiling.

I dreamt not of being chased
but of chasing, of attacking—
of taking primitive pleasure
from the feel of a face
under my fist, the taste
of someone else’s blood
on my knuckles,
the satisfying slish of a knife
penetrating a plump belly,
the recoil of a rifle
against my shoulder
and the head of a stranger
in my sights exploding.

I stumble to the bathroom,
flip the light,
splash water on my face
in the dirty mirror,
hair estranged,
stubble like tombstones,
I look guilty as hell
and wonder out of which circle
that nightmare slouched.

Happy Halloween!

Unknown's avatar

About Bartholomew Barker

Bartholomew Barker is an organizer of Living Poetry, a collection of poets in the Triangle region of North Carolina where he has hosted a monthly feedback workshop for more than decade. His first poetry collection, Wednesday Night Regular, written in and about strip clubs, was published in 2013. His second, Milkshakes and Chilidogs, a chapbook of food inspired poetry was served in 2017. He was nominated for a Pushcart Prize in 2021. Born and raised in Ohio, studied in Chicago, he worked in Connecticut for nearly twenty years before moving to Hillsborough where he lives and writes poetry.
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17 Responses to What Dreams May Come

  2. JeanMarie's avatar JeanMarie says:
    2020-10-30 at 20:23

    This revision is even better than the version I saw. Really well done. I’m sure I will sleep well tonight!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  3. Lisa Tomey-Zonneveld's avatar Lisa Tomey says:
    2020-10-30 at 21:16

    Stubble like tombstones… Like that!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  4. jupitergrant's avatar jupitergrant says:
    2020-10-31 at 08:07

    Ooooh! Deliciously macabre, with an ominous hint of Jeckyll and Hyde about it. Love it!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  5. luisa zambrotta's avatar luisa zambrotta says:
    2020-11-04 at 10:48

    Wonderfully gruesome!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  7. Kitten Lada's avatar Kitten Lada says:
    2020-11-09 at 19:56

    I’ve got goosebumps! 😈

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

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